Free Shuttle Buses to Return as Ondo Govt Begins Distribution of Palliatives

By Ibrahim Kilani

The Ondo State Government begins the distribution of palliatives (rice) to vulnerable households across the eighteen local government areas.

One thousand, two hundred bags of rice allotted to each local government are to be shared by six thousand households.

The Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mrs Bamidele Ademola-Olateju, while flagging-off the palliatives distribution in Akoko Southeast Local Government Area informed that the initiative was meant for all residents of the state regardless of their political affiliations.

According to her, “Today, we are kicking off the distribution of palliatives to Ondo State residents and it happens that the four local government areas in Akoko are the first to be distributed”.

She hinted that the palliatives were part of the delivery taken from the Federal Government and the one paid for by the state government.

“There will be five people to a bag of rice and here, we have trucks coming in to take the palliatives to various towns in Akoko South East comprising Ipesi, Sosan, Ifira, Epinmi, Isua among others. We have 1,200 bags of rice for Akoko South East and we are targeting 6,000 households in the local government”.

“We have been very diligent in making this selection. We will learn a lot of lessons from the distribution. Whatever lessons we learn, we are going to share it with the main committee and we hope we don’t learn bad lessons even if we learn bad lessons, we hope to gain from them because this is the first tranche and lesson we are improved upon. We will repeat the successes recorded and if there is any bad lesson, we will mitigate it at another time, so we will not make the same mistake again”.

Mrs Ademola-Olateju said religious groups, market women, traders associations among others would benefit from the palliatives.

According to her, besides rice, other local food items would be procured and distributed to the poor people in the state using the existing data in the communities.

Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, the Chief Imam of Akoko South East Local Government Area, Alhaji Saliu Jamiu and Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Pastor Gideon Onibato thanked government for the palliatives.

The Ondo State government had earlier released buses for free transportation of civil servants to work while it also promised to return free shuttle buses for students and pupils across the state when they resume new academic session next week as part of the fuel subsidy removal palliatives.

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